SOUTH Africa Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s recent utterances that South Africa will institute a ban on permits granted to foreign pastors and religious workers has sparked fury in the religious community.
Motsoaledi, who this past week addressed the National Assembly’s home affairs committee, announced that religious leaders who come to the country to start churches will no longer be eligible to obtain work permits or residency permits.
This is in light of some religious workers, among them Malawian televangelist Shepherd Bushiri, who fled the country in 2020 after being charged with money laundering and Nigerian evangelist Timothy Omotoso, who is accused of a spate of rape and human trafficking charges by the Eastern Cape courts.
“I want to confirm that on (the) movement control system, we do not see any record of Bushiri leaving, which means that he left the country illegally,” Motsoaledi said.
Bushiri and his wife Mary fl ed the country after they were granted R200 000 bail each while facing charges of theft, fraud and money laundering. The minister said those seeking to start their own churches in the country will only be welcomed as visitors.
“We are saying they must come only as visitors, but as visitors who can perform work. This change means there is no avenue available for these religious workers to migrate to permanent residence status,” the minister said.
A chief director has been dismissed, and four junior officials are still facing disciplinary proceedings, for illegally granting Bushiri a residency permit. Motsoaledi said there was an investigation under way to determine how the criminally charged Omotoso received his residency.
Solomon Izang Ashoms of the Movement Against Abuse in Churches, which is critical of bogus church leaders, said it was charlatans who misrepresent the church who are responsible for such sentiments.—IOL